


Robofox

by DoomFox



Category: Sonic - Fandom, Sonic the Hedgehog (Video Games), Sonic the Hedgehog - All Media Types
Genre: Body Modification, Loss of Humanity, Metal Tails - Freeform, roboticization
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-11
Updated: 2021-02-07
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:13:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,827
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27512119
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DoomFox/pseuds/DoomFox
Summary: After returning from the Lost Hex, a partially roboticized Tails finds his altered state might be harder to repair than he at first thought. But after an engagement with Eggman goes awry, the genius mechanic decides to take his 'improvement' into his own hands...
Comments: 10
Kudos: 39





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A story idea suggested by the folks over at r/milesprower discord server! Tails returns from the events of Lost World with his cyborg parts intact, and has  
> to figure out a way of changing himself back... or transform himself further.  
> The r/milesprower server https://discord.com/channels/621447737128517632/766803625996845070

"Tails?" Sonic edged into the workshop of his best friend and honorary brother, a pair of sodas in hand. He lightly approached the fox as he sat at his workshop, tapping away at a computer with his left hand... his right converted entirely into a chunky energy weapon. "You okay buddy?"

The fox in question spun around, his remaining organic eye widening in surprise... the glowing optic that had replaced his left glowing bright. "Oh, S... sorry, Sonic..." he stammered, the partially roboticized fox appearing flustered. The metal of his left foot scraped over the floor as he turned in his seat. "I was... preoccupied..."

Sonic understood. The fox had been through a lot. They both had during their adventure at the Lost Hex, but Sonic had at least returned fully organic. Tails hadn't been so lucky. He had been able to take some control over his transformation, but once started by the Zeti the process was unstoppable. And now the reluctant cyborg was lumped with figuring out how to fix himself.

"Any luck on curing this?" Sonic said lightly, the fox shuffling awkwardly in place.

"Unfortunately..." Tails replied, "I'm not just _inside_ a machine like Eggman's usual Badniks... I'm missing pieces of myself, Sonic... I have to figure out how to replace them, or convert the already altered material. And I'm an engineer, not a surgeon."

"So..." Sonic hummed, "What's the plan, little buddy?"

"Processing..." Sonic was taken aback by Tails' response. Just how much of his little brother's brain had been altered? Tails stared into space, his eye optic glowing while its organic counterpart flickered over the floor. "I think we may have to face the fact..." the fox said, "that I may be stuck like this for a long time... maybe even forever..."

"Hey, come here little guy..." Sonic reached out and took his brother in a hug as the fox began to cry, tears running down the right hand side of his face. Tails clumsily attempted to keep his arm cannon pointed _away_ from his brother, and clutched onto Sonic with his left hand. "I don't care what you look like, or what those jerks did to you!" the hedgehog said, "You're still my little buddy! And that's never gonna change!"

"I couldn't stop it, Sonic..." Tails whimpered, "All I could do was prevent myself from being brainwashed... and... it _hurt..._ "

"Well I'm gonna help you through this, pal..." the hedgehog said, "Whatever it takes..."

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It wasn't long until Eggman was up to his old tricks again. And as per usual, the two heroes were first to respond to his attacks. Sonic jumped and popped a Badnik, the machine exploding into sparks. These models were pure machine, uninhabited by the small critters that Robotnik cruelly liked to inter in his fighting machines. The vaguely humanoid robots stomped forward firing at the blue blur and missing as usual.

Another Badnik raised its energy weapon... and was itself cut down by a blizzard of energy projectiles. Sonic turned and offered his brother a salute of gratitude, the twin-tailed cyborg covering him from above with his own arm cannon.

"Good shot, little buddy!" Sonic called. The fox simply regarded him blankly, the machine side of his brain taking over now he was in combat.

"Th... thanks, Sonic..." Tails managed a small grin, though it appeared to take some concentration. "Detecting further targets ahead," his face fell blank again and he hefted his arm cannon. "Including Robotnik himself. I recommend extreme caution."

"Ha, you know me, buddy!" Sonic grinned as he moved into a trot, "That word isn't in my dictionary!"

Tails offered no reply as his namesakes spun into a blur, and he boosted after his brother with weapon at the ready. 

Tails' brain was fed information by its mechanical components, offering him targeting data and enemy movement patterns. He felt a shiver of unease at how _emotionless_ he felt right now, attempting to push back the machine-logic... and in doing so, failed to respond in time to the ambush.

"Sonic, Look o-"

Explosions blossomed all around as, for once, Robotnik managed to get the upper hand. The two brothers were blasted from their feet, tumbling to the ground in a heap.

Tails staggered to his feet, arm cannon wavering, his vision flickering as his left optic fizzled in and out of function. He felt a burning sensation where his right ear should have been, and he frantically looked around for Sonic.

"AHA! GOT YOU, YOU LITTLE PESTS!!!" Doctor Ivo 'Eggman' Robotnik smacked his hands against his egg-flyer's console. "Well well, Tails! Looking good there, my mechanical friend!"

"Sonic?!" Tails' eyes landed on a blue heap, lying immobile in the grass. "SONIC!!!"

"Oho!" The doctor cackled, "Looks like it's just you and me, robot-boy! Well, when I say you and me..." There was the sound of jump jets as from above, Metal Sonic descended, red eyes glowering behind his visor. "I really mean you and Metal Sonic here! One robot against another!"

Tails clenched his left hand into a fist, his brow furrowing. His scans told him Sonic was alive... but the anger and shame he felt at his failure to warn Sonic in time was overwhelming. 

"Metal!" the doctor ordered, jabbing a finger at Tails, "Scrap that cyborg!"

Metal nodded and lowered his visor, boosting right toward the roboticized fox.

And was promptly blasted out of the sky by an overcharged round, fired faster than the robot had anticipated. The mechanical hedgehog slammed into the ground, a smoking hole punched straight through his chest.

"ARGH!!!!" The doctor roared, pounding his console, "Do you know how long it took me to _fix_ him?! I'll destroy you for that you little-"

The human was cut off as Tails aimed directly at him, face blank and emotionless, and fired.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Nng..." Sonic rubbed his pounding head as he regained consciousness, finding himself set on his and Tails' couch back home. Bandages were applied to his body. He remembered blinding light, the flash of an explosion, pain as he was knocked unconscious... "Tails?! Tails, where are you?!"

"Right here, Sonic..." came a small, blank voice. The hedgehog turned to find his brother, standing still beside the window like a sentry, gazing out into space. The fox turned, and Sonic shuddered as he saw Tails' own injuries. The left side of his face was burned, the optic cracked and dead... and his ear had been burned away completely. A few patches of fur were missing from his body, and Sonic noted bandages around his body. The fox appeared completely blank, staring emotionlessly at the hedgehog. "How are you feeling? I tended to your injuries as best as I was able..."

"What happened out there, buddy?" Sonic grit his teeth as he sat back up, "What happened to egghead?"

"I moved to engage the target," Tails replied stoically. "Metal Sonic unit was destroyed. Primary target Eggman escaped."

"Tails?" Sonic said carefully, noting his brother's lack of emotion. "Are... you okay dude?"

Tails looked down, misery etching his features. "I... I screwed up, Sonic... my scanners detected the ambush but... I was too slow..."

"Hey, don't be like that dude!" Sonic said, limping over to console his brother, "You got me outta there! And you took out Metal? That's awesome, little dude!"

Tails' mood didn't improve. "I should have been faster... some sidekick, huh? Even as a robot I'm not good enough..."

"Hey, c'mere..." Again, Sonic took his brother in a hug and squeezed him tight, taking care not to brush his arm cannon. Tails, however, remained limp. "Buddy, _I'm_ the one who got knocked the heck out! Without you there, I'd have been toast!"

"I could've done better..." Tails muttered, "I _should_ be better..."

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

That night, Tails found himself stood before the bathroom mirror. He carefully rinsed his left hand, his right now useless for such work. He miserably took in his reflection, the cracked left optic still blank and unseeing.

"I failed Sonic..." the fox said gloomily, "I failed Sonic because I wasn't fast enough..."

_I could be better. I SHOULD be better._

Tails frowned as he considered, flexing his left hand before him, looking to his mechanical left leg.

He was an inventor. An engineer. And half-artificial. He had the knowledge, and the means... to _improve_ himself.

"I'm gonna _make_ myself better..." he muttered, plans running through his artificial and organic brain. "And I'll never fail Sonic again!"

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sonic was worried about his brother. Tails had been shut in his workshop for days, and had expressly forbidden him from interrupting what he described as 'important work'. The hedgehog knew what it was about - Tails was undoubtedly figuring out how to reverse the roboticization process the Zeti had put him through. Still, if anyone could figure it out... it would be Tails.

It was four days until sonic heard a peep from his genius brother.

"Yo, Tails!" the hedgehog said cheerily as he picked up his communicator, "Glad to finally hear from you, bud! Thought you'd gone total hermit on us!"

 _"Yes, I've been busy..."_ the fox replied flatly, _"Could you come to my workshop please? I have something to show you."_

"Uh, can do buddy..."

_"I'll buzz you in."_

So Sonic had hopped over to the fox's workshop, curiosity mounting as he entered the building. "Tails?" He called, moving through the workshop. He stopped briefly to pat his old Tornado, the red plane effectively belonging to Tails these days. "You around, bud?"

"Oh good, you're here..." Tails replied from deeper in the workshop. "I'm coming out, Sonic. Try not to be too shocked..."

Sonic frowned. He didn't like the sound of that. His ears perked as the sound of mismatched footsteps approached.

"Tails?" the hedgehog said cautiously, "What have you been up... to..."

At first Sonic thought his brother had successfully managed to replace the cracked optic that had become of his right eye... before he realised. _Both_ of Tails' eyes had been replaced, with glowing blue mechanical units surrounded by a black, downswept visor. The upper part of his cranium had been completely reconstructed out of artificial material, complete with metallic ears and three spikes that represented his bangs. His arm cannon had gone, swapped for a mechanical prosthetic.

Sonic's mouth gaped. The self-inflicted surgery had to have been extensive. 

"Tails?" The hedgehog whispered, shocked at the extent of Tails' 'modifications', "What have you _done_ to yourself?"

Tails grinned, the lower half of his face still organic. "Improved myself, Sonic!" The fox-cyborg responded, "utilizing Eggman's roboticization techniques, I can boost my efficiency tenfold! I have many more such modifications planned ahead!" Tails raised his right hand and wiggled the fingers. 

"You're _roboticizing_ yourself?!" Sonic said disbelievingly, "Tails, that's... that's insane!!!"

Tails lowered the downswept visor that had replaced the top part of his face. "Insane, Sonic?" The cyborg replied, "Do you know how much _better_ I can be? Enhanced speed, strength, reactions, processing capability... I'll never fail you again! Fitting as well..." Tails regarded his still fleshy left hand, waggling the fingers before his visor, "I'm a genius mechanic... only logical for me to become a machine, wouldn't you say?"

"Tails..." Sonic sighed, reminded horribly of his own mechanical counterpart by Tails' altered appearance. "I can't stop you if this is what you want... I just don't want to _lose_ you! you're my brother, buddy!"

"You aren't losing me, Sonic!" The fox replied, hands clasping behind his back. "You're getting a new me! A _better_ me! One who won't weigh you down any more!"

Sonic let out a breath. "So..." he said carefully, shuddering as he looked into Tails' new eyes, "When you say you have lots more modifications in mind... how extensive are we talking about?"

Tails simply wore a strange little smile. "You'll see..." the fox-cyborg replied, "You'll see soon enough..."


	2. Chapter 2

"Blast that Tails!" Doctor Ivo Robotnik slammed his one good hand into his computer console, almost causing the reinforced keys to pop from their sockets. His minions, Orbot and Cubot, hovered tentatively around, worrying at his other bandaged and slung arm. "He SHOT me! Can you believe that?! The twin tailed little cyborg freak SHOT me!!!"

"Yes, sir!" stammered Orbot, his optics slanting with worry, "And you're aggravating the wound!"

"Yeah! And you're totally making it worse!" Added cubot.

"SILENCE!!!" The doctor rounded on his minions, the robots cowering beneath his rage. The doctor had been lucky to escape the encounter with Tails, taking only a shot straight through the shoulder. But it had been a long time since anybody had tried, and almost succeeded, in truly trying to kill Robotnik, and the human was enraged. "I'll have my revenge... the doctor snarled, tapping at his console, "Mark my words! That bolt-headed little berk will pay! Even as we speak I have spy-bots rounding on the little abomination's workshop right now!" The doctor leaned back in his chair and watched with a leer as one said spybot indeed approached the fox's base of operations, searching for an entrance. "And I have a plan that will be so delightfully devilish, those two creatures will wish they never messed with me!"

The spybot camera tilted as the small egg-shaped bot hovered silently through an open window. The doctor chuckled, delighted his foe had been so careless.

The bot made its way through the living quarters of Tails' home at Mystic Ruins, finding no sign of the confounded fox. "Hmm..." the doctor mused as he stroked his moustache, "Little bleeder must be in his workshop... of course... never one to slack off, that one! Ah, Miles..." the doctor chuckled, "It's such a shame we had to be enemies... imagine the things I could accomplish with an apprentice of such intellect!"

"You have us, boss!" Cubot piped up.

"Yes, I am _quite_ aware of that..." grumbled the doctor, guiding his probe through to Tails' lab. The bot rounded by a sleek red biplane - the brothers' blasted Tornado. The doctor cursed how many times the fox had ruined his plans with such a primitive vehicle. "Where are you, Tails..." the doctor grumbled, "Where are you you little... GAH!!!"

The doctor shrieked as the camera shook, blurring violently as the thing was grabbed from mid air. He leaned back in his chair, gripping the arm with his good hand... and gawped as a pair of glowing blue eyes curiously registered the spybot, their owner's face of remarkably familiar design...

 _"Oh,"_ a synthesised voice said lightly, _"Hello, doctor."_

Robotnik and his lackeys simply watched at what they recognised had to be Tails raised the bot into the air, and blankly stared directly at the camera.

_"Do me a favour? Don't send any more of your toys to my place? I'd hate to have to clean up the mess."_

With that, the camera flickered and fizzled into static as the spybot was crushed into scrap.

Silence filled Robotnik's control room at the demise of the spybot.

"Sir..." said Orbot quietly, "Was that...?"

"I believe so..." Robitnik rounded on his minions, his face splitting into a malicious grin. "And it looks like he's done my work for me! Metal?" From the depths, clanking footsteps sounded as a fully-repaired Metal Sonic approached, visor lowered in an angry scowl. The doctor grinned at his greatest creation. "How do you feel about collecting... your new 'little buddy?'"

The robot simply nodded, and turned to leave as the doctor began to upload directives to his processing systems.

"Oh Tails..." the doctor hissed, "You are going to make a _fine_ addition to my collection..."

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was another blissful sunny day in Green Hills, though the weather didn't appear to be raising Sonic's spirits. The hedgehog leaned his head in a hand, a chili dog remaining untouched on the plate before him. Around him in the fast food place were gathered several of his friends, among which a yellow fox was conspicuously absent.

"Are you okay, Sonic?" a concerned Amy Rose leaned over and squeezed his shoulder, "You haven't touched your food!"

"Huh?" Sonic snapped out of his trance with a start and shook his head. "Yeah... yeah, sure. I'm fine."

"Yeah, we know that's a lie..." Vector, chief detective of the Chaotix, hungrily shovelled burger into his elongated snout, the crocodile's appetite insatiable, "You know something's up when Sonic doesn't finish a chili dog!"

"Agreed," said Espio, the other Chaotix detective, while beside him a tiny bee child splattered ketchup over his fries.

"It's Tails, isn't it?" Knuckles grumbled, a scowl plastered over his face, "And this whole 'modification' thing he's got going on?"

Sonic nodded. "He's been locked in his workshop for _days..._ completely barred me from seeing what he's up to... I'll be honest guys, I'm kinda terrified at this point..."

"Is it really that bad?" Vector grunted, frowning in concern, "I thought he was just replacing the parts those... _yeet-i_ guys bolted onto him?"

"I believe," Espio said, the chameleon eyeing Sonic pointedly, "There may be more to it than that..."

Sonic chewed his lip and nodded. "Yeah... yeah, there's more..."

"Tell us, Sonic?" Amy said gently, "We can help!"

"Yeah!" Charmy piped up, ketchup plastered over his face, "We're your friends!"

Sonic considered his options. Hs friends knew what had happened to Tails on the Lost Hex, but they didn't know how _far_ Tails was seemingly willing to... _fix_ himself. Sonic had been hoping the fox would come to his senses. "Okay..." the hedgehog said, "Okay... I haven't told you guys everything... I was kinda hoping this would all blow over, but now I'm not so sure..."

Sonic was cut off as curious muttering sounded from surrounding tables... and the sound of jet thrusters slowly began to pierce the air. The gang's attention fixed to the sky, where a streak of yellow was quickly descending on jets of flame and spinning tails, making for a landing in the restaurant's open deck.

"Oh my gosh..." Amy whispered as the figure came to a landing, leg joints hissing as they took the weight, thrusters winding down, golden metal gleaming in the sun.

"Tails?!" Sonic gawped, leaning up from his seat, "Oh no..."

Before them, the entirely metal form of a completely roboticized yellow fox regarded his friends with glowing blue eyes above a blank face.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Tails?" Sonic said again, as people all around stared in fear and fascination at what had been a mobian fox.

Tails clasped his hands - both made of steel - behind his back, the blank visage of his face lowering. The gold and white mask was almost featureless, save for the black visor and a sensor module where his nose had been. The others gawped at the cyborg in a mixture of horror and curiosity. "Hello, everyone."

"Holy..." Vector muttered beneath his breath, while Espio eyed the robot unblinkingly and Knuckles looked as though he could lunge for the thing in an instant. Amy simply clasped both hands over her mouth, while Charmy hopped out of his seat with big fascinated eyes.

"Woah!" The bee child gasped, buzzing over to investigate his roboticized friend before either of the other Chaotix could stop him, "Tails, is that you???"

"Affirmative," came a flat reply, Tails barely even registering the bee as he fluttered around his head, "My exterior construction is now one hundred percent artificial. Self-roboticization seventy-three percent complete." The cyborg cocked his head with a slight whirr, blankly regarding Sonic. "What do you think of my work, Sonic?"

Sonic shook his head. "Tails... what have you _done_ to yourself?"

Tails stared at him, utterly still. "What do you mean, Sonic? I told you - I've _improved_ myself. My altered state was irreversible, it was only logical to pursue total roboticization." The head twitched again. "I thought you would be proud?"

"PROUD?!" Knuckles growled, glaring at the cyborg, "You've _mutilated_ yourself, Tails!!! You... you're a _Badnik!!!_ "

The visor lowered, increasing the effect of the 'scowl'. "Badniks are inferior units. I have altered my body into the ultimate fighting machine. I am faster, stronger, _better._ Not that I'd expect organics to understand."

"Inferior? Organics?" Sonic said, rounding the table to approach his brother, "Tails, do you have any idea who you look like?" the hedgehog lapped both hands on Tails reconstituted shoulders and shook him. "Do you have any idea who you _sound_ like???"

Tails regarded the hedgehog blankly as he was shaken. "Please don't do that."

"Tails, buddy!" Another shake. "You need help! That artificial part of your brain has made you do this!"

"Please let me go."

"Tails, listen to me! We're gonna help fix you, okay?" _Shake._ "We're gonna fix you, and we're gonna find a way to change you b-"

"GET OFF OF ME."

Sonic was instantly cut off as an iron fist plunged into his sternum, launching him back into the plates of food and drink scattered over the table. Screams rang out from around the restaurant, while the others scrambled to take care of their winded friend.

"TAILS?!?!" Knuckled snarled, raising to his feet with fists clenched, "What the HELL are you doing?!?!"

The echidna had directly approached the roboticized unit, or so it appeared from Tails' perspective. updated combat routines engaged and the former fox stepped back and raised his right arm, the limb morphing and reshaping into a crackling energy cannon. The weapon fixed directly at Knuckles, who paused in his tracks.

"Target locked." The synthesized voice said blankly, "Preparing to fire."

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A terrible silence had descended over the fast food joint, as Sonic wheezed on the table, the others staring cautiously at the roboticized fox. Espio looked as though he were about to slip into his camouflaged state and attack, Vector had grabbed Charmy and was using his own body as a shield, but it was Amy to make the first move.

"Tails?" the pink hedgehog said, slowly approaching her friend, "What are you going to do?"

Tails didn't respond, his reconfigured arm pointed steadily at Knuckles, who wore a grimace.

"Tails, come on..." Amy gently sidled beside him and _slowly_ began to lower the weapon, noting how warm the thing was to the touch. "Let's just talk about this, okay?"

The weapon lowered fully, as Tails realised what it was he was doing. Knuckles snarled and looked as though he were about to attack... but instead the hot headed echidna turned to check on Sonic.

Vector and Espio eyed the former fox with caution, while Sonic stared at him with wet, bloodshot eyes. Beside him, Amy wore a very similar expression. Tails realised now. They were scared of him.

"You don't understand me..." Tails, synthesized voice low, stared blankly at his friends. "You... _organics_ don't understand me..."

"Tails, let us help you..." Amy said, doing her best to remain calm and deescalate the situation, "Please? We're your friends..."

Tails glanced at her, blue eyes glowing, before turning and marching stoically away. "I'm leaving," the roboticized fox said, his arm reconfiguring back into its usual shape. He didn't say another word as his flight systems engaged, tails spinning and thrusts of flame spurting from his hands and feet, before boosting into the sky like a gleaming yellow missile. Below, the gang watched as their altered and utterly unrecognisable friend departed, heading where they didn't know.

"Tails..." whispered Sonic, helpless as his brother left him.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tails touched down gently into soft, thick grass, his flight systems winding down as he sank into the earth below. He looked down to regard his metal feet, twin-clawed and red. He felt nothing through the steel. Looking back up, the cyborg absorbed his surroundings. It had been a long time since he had been here, to this beach, next to this lake. The first place he had met Sonic.

The roboticized fox slowly marched across the field toward the beach, metal feet crushing grass beneath his tread. He would come here often when he was little, to escape the other kids who bullied him for his twin tails. The flickies would come to investigate the quiet fox-boy, who would in turn happily observe the curious animals. No animals came to see him today. They knew better than to approach strange robots these days.

He replayed the incident at the restaurant with perfect clarity in his mind. He remembered his friends' shocked faces at his altered state, he remembered Sonic pleading with him... he remembered a spike of anger at Sonic's insistence he needed to be 'fixed'. Tails _was_ fixed. He was improved. He was, in every conceivable way, _better._ And his friends, _inferior organics_ that they were, couldn't see it.

Still, he remembered shame at what he'd done. Sonic was as good as his brother, and Tails had _hit_ him with enough force to send the hedgehog flying.

_I shouldn't have done that. But he shouldn't have provoked me._

The cyborg finally reached the shore and kneeled down beside the lake, relaxing into a cross-legged position. He leaned over and looked into the water, his own reflection staring blankly back. Glowing blue eyes stood out from their visor, fashioned into a permanent scowl. His own design reflected that of Metal Sonic.

_What have I done to myself?_

A flutter of regret began to rise in his chest as Tails understood exactly how irreversible his condition was. An emotional response. Illogical, and irrelevant. The artificial side of his brain squashed it. He was better now. Superior. 

And being watched.

Too absorbed in his own thoughts, Tails was once again too late to react as a bolt of energy slashed toward him. The golden cyborg swung around just in time to register the blast, and shuddered in place as his systems were overloaded. His glowing eyes dimmed out, leaving a blank visor, and fell into the grass with a _thump._

Moments later, a gleaming blue robot of similar construction hovered to a soft landing meters away from the inert cyborg, red eyes locked onto its target. Metal Sonic pinged a notification through to his creator, before leaning down and slinging the smaller cyborg over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Metal Sonic readied his flight systems and boosted into the sky, ready to transport the package back to the doctor.


	3. Chapter 3

Miles was aware he was becoming conscious, his body warming as power began flowing once again. He lacked eyelids, his natural eyeballs recently replaced with optical units situated behind a black visor, and he didn't open his eyes so much as his vision flickered into existence. He found himself, prone on his back, limbs spread as he looked directly into bright lights above. The room around was pitch black. He tried to move, found he couldn't. Paralyzed.

He began to panic. This was far too much like his experience on the Lost Hex, when he had been captured by the Zeti and... _altered._ But this time he didn't have a toothpick handy to influence his own alterations.

"Well..." a sneering voice reached his ears, and Miles' optics swivelled in an attempt to find the source of the far too familiar voice, "Hello there, Miles..."

Two sets of footsteps approached, one the sound of boot soles, and the other metallic and harsh. The leering visage of doctor Robotnik met Miles' vision, along with the scowling mask of Metal Sonic. 

Miles was suddenly _very_ concerned. Robotnik was a mad robotics scientist. And Tails had more or less completely roboticized himself. The doctor... could pretty much do whatever he wanted to him.

"My, my!" the doctor said, raising his goggles to expose his malicious, glinting eyes. "You are... a _fascinating_ piece of equipment, Miles! And you did all this work yourself? I see you figured out the organic matter-conversion system? That's the only explanation for how you converted yourself so quickly!"

Miles' glowing blue eyes simply tracking the doctor from his position. "What are you going to do to me?"

"Oh, I'm _so_ happy you asked!" Robotnik cackled, moving around like a predator considering a meal, "After that little... inconvenience you dealt me the other day..." the doctor gestured to his bandaged arm, "I _was_ going to roboticize you and turn you against your friends as revenge! But it seems..." Robotnik ran a hand over the yellow carapace of Miles' torso, "That you've done the work for me! All that is left for me to do is take a look inside that noggin of yours, and... well, let's put it this way. Metal Sonic here is very _lonely..._ " the human sneered and presented the blue robot, who stood silently observing with arms folded and visor lowered. "I thought he could use a 'little buddy' of his own... and seeing as you fit the bill so _closely..._ " The doctor leaned close and smiled wolfishly. "Do my intentions compute?"

Miles, entirely terrified and utterly devastated with what he had done to himself now his organic mind was in full control, simply stared blankly, utterly incapable of expressing outward emotion. "I won't help you..." the roboticized fox said, synthesized voice quietly reverberating, "I won't..."

"Ha!" Robotnik barked with laughter, "Do you really think you'll have a choice?! When I'm done with you, you will be just as much of a compliant, loyal, and _destructive_ minion as Metal Sonic here!" The doctor stood back up and snapped his fingers, sets of claws and tools descending from the dark ceiling above, ready to carry out the work. "Hey, don't worry!" he chuckled, "Maybe you'll enjoy being a killer Eggman robot..." the doctor stroked at his moustache, then grinned wide. " _Mecha-Tails!_ "

The doctor cackled as he left, Miles watching in fear as the tools began to descend, before he once again fell into unconsciousness. Across the room, Metal Sonic watched in silence as the cyborg was pried open, and the final modifications began.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Jeez, Tails... where are you?"

Sonic worriedly paced his brother's workshop, accompanied by his friends as they busily scanned for any signs of the rogue cyborg. Free of his lockdown, they had been able to inspect the means of Tails' conversion for themselves - a cylindrical chamber, within which Tails had exposed himself to multiple waves of Roboticizer Rays, Robotnik technology that utterly converted organic material into artificial, conforming to a pre-programmed design.

"We'll find him, Sonic..." Knuckles muttered, the echidna's temper having given way to the realisation that their little friend truly was not himself, "Right, Vector?"

"Right!" The crocodile was situated at one of Tails' consoles, running scans for the cyborg himself, "They don't call me Vector the Detector for nothin'!"

"Nobody calls you that at all..." muttered Espio.

"Why did he do this to himself?" Amy said, inspecting the roboticization machine Tails had used to transform himself, "Change himself in the way he did?"

"It's that damn computer in his brain..." Sonic muttered, "It must have been altering his behaviour... making him believe he needed to 'improve' himself..." He shook his head. "Whatever the Zeti did to him on the Lost Hex, it's screwed with his mind."

"I think he's pretty cool as a robot!" Charmy said happily, buzzing around the two hedgehogs. Sonic did his best not to scowl. Charmy was just a kid, after all. 

"Charmy? Why don't we go and see if there's anything for you to snack on while the guys work?" Amy said gently, noting Sonic's disposition.

"Okay!"

"Let me know if anything happens!" Amy said, taking the bee-child's hand. Sonic nodded in response, turning back to the roboticizer... and giving it a kick.

"We'll get him back, Sonic..." Knuckles rested a hand on his friend's shoulder, "whatever it takes."

Before Sonic could respond, Vector's voice broke their moment. "Hey, sorry to break up the conversation guys, but we're gettin' reports... Eggman robots are attacking the city!"

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Team Sonic sprinted for the city as fast as the mobians could manage, Sonic being ushered on ahead by his teammates to assist the militia as Eggman forces moved on the assault. He boosted through the streets, searching for Badniks, ultimately setting eyes on egg-shaped robots storming through the streets. 

"Guys, I have eyes on Badniks! I'm moving in to kick some butt!"

 _"Be careful, Sonic!"_ came Knuckles' reply, _"Metal Sonic has been sighted in the area, as well as Eggman!"_

"Since when did I have to worry about that faker? And egg-brains?! He ain't getting the jump on me this time!" Sonic leaned forward into another blast of speed, smashing through Badniks like bowling pins. "I'm coming for you, egg-face..." the hedgehog muttered.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Doctor Robotnik sneered as his forces surged into the city, the local militia putting up little of a fight. Metal Sonic swooped above, raining blasts of energy down on the defenders, while Badniks stormed the streets, gathering fresh slaves for the doctor's construction projects. Robotnik had plans. Big plans, he wished to soon put into action.

As soon as he could locate that Phantom Ruby...

"Boss!" The doctor turned to regard Orbot and Cubot as they came to a hover beside his egg-flyer, waving to get his attention, "Metal Sonic reports that Sonic has entered the city!"

"He's already heading for our position!" Cubot added, "Metal says he's ready to engage!"

Robotnik leered. "No... inform Metal I want him here for... backup. I think it's time we gave our new unit a workout, don't you?"

"Right away, doc!"

"You got it, boss!"

The doctor tapped at his communications console, pinging his brand spanking new field commander. "Mecha-Tails? You're up!"

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sonic pinballed between Badniks, using the momentum to bounce right up to the rooftops, on the hunt for the doctor himself. He had already seen Metal Sonic streaking above, and the mechanical hedgehog had seemingly intended to swoop for him, before breaking away and rocketing in the opposite direction.

Sonic felt a grip of anger in his heart as he considered Tails' fate. 

_Come on, little buddy..._ he thought bitterly to himself, _Could still use you right now..._

The blue hedgehog launched himself into the air and bounced between a squadron of buzz-bombers in his pursuit of Metal, spinning around like a pinball through the air. He landed easily on his feet with practised grace, unfurling into a combat stance as he laid eyes on the doctor and his mechanical double.

"So, egg-for-brains!" the hedgehog snarked, a lopsided grin splitting his face, "Back up to your old tricks again?"

"If by 'old tricks', you mean 'conquering you miserable creatures in the name of my Empire!' " The doctor sneered, "Oh, I see you're alone today, Sonic! No confounded little cyborg following you around this time?"

"Shame he isn't here!" Sonic replied, his cool slipping at the mention of his best friend, "I heard he gave old metal-head there a good butt-whooping!"

Metal Sonic lowered his head and released a growl of static, seemingly intent on charging the hedgehog, but Eggman himself motioned the robot to stand down. "Interesting you say that, Sonic..." the doctor leered maliciously, "You see, Metal here happened upon your little robot friend just yesterday... and after a few minor tweaks back at my secret lab..."

"What did you do?!" Sonic cried, stepping forward with fists clenched, "Where's my little buddy?!"

"Oh, I'm so glad you asked!" Eggman cackled, the sound of jet engines approaching, "Perhaps, Sonic, you would care to say hello to my newest special operations unit..." Sonic turned and watched, mouth sliding open, as a familiar gleaming yellow form boosted overhead, and landed with a _clang_ right before him. The new arrival straightened back up, right arm morphing into a directed energy weapon, glowing eyes glaring at the hedgehog from a black visor.

"Tails!" Sonic cried to his brother, receiving no reply. "Buddy, what did he do to you?!" 

The cyborg remained non-responsive as Robotnik whooped with laughter. "Consider it an upgrade! I reprogrammed the brat to be utterly loyal to _me!_ And finished the work he already did on himself! Now he is one-hundred percent machine, and he's _all mine!!!_ "

Sonic gaped into the blank, staring visor that had replaced Tails' face, searching for any indication the former fox was playing the same trick he'd played back on the Lost Hex. There was nothing to detect, the cyborg's face unreadable. 

Sonic turned back to glare at Eggman. "I'll put you away for this, Robotnik! For good!"

"I wouldn't turn my back if I were you!" the doctor giggled, "I wanna see a good fight!"

Sonic's spines raised and he swung back around - just in time to dodge a flurry of laser rounds from Mecha-Tails' arm cannon. He bounced around the street, dodging fire from the utterly roboticized fox's weapon.

"AHA! YES!! YES!!!" Robotnik pounded his console in glee, grinning impossibly wide as the two brothers battled, "How _perfectly_ poetic, eh Metal?!?"

Metal Sonic simply glowered, the robot not taking his optics from the roboticized unit that was seemingly to replace him.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sonic sprinted over the rooftops, not knowing what to do except direct Tails away from his backup, hoping he could find some way of talking sense into the cyborg... or incapacitating him. If all Sonic could do was take Tails out of the fight and get him back to his workshop, there was a chance the team could work together to bring him back. Even if he were to be a machine for the rest of his life, they could at least bring his mind back.

 _"Sonic, Knuckles here!"_ Sonic yelped as another blast of energy slammed unnervingly close to his feet, Mecha-Tails' targeting systems seemingly superior to those of a regular Badnik's, _"We're in the city, dealing with Eggman forces! Metal Sonic is hot on your tail! Do you need an assist?"_

"Kinda busy here, Knux!" Sonic cried through his communicator as he launched himself from the rooftops and hit the freeway, dashing between cars as Mecha-Tails stuck close behind. "Just deal with egg-brain's forces and kick the old coot outta here!"

Sonic caught a look over his shoulder, finding the roboticized form of his brother keeping up effortlessly. He ducked his head as the cyborg flashed above, turning mid-air to face him. A standard Metal Sonic tactic. Always failed.

"Tails!" Sonic called into his communicator, hoping the converted fox could hear him over the open channel, "I know you're in there buddy! Listen to me!"

A blast of energy from a newly installed chest-mounted emitter was his reply. Sonic dodged and stumbled, but kept trying anyway. "TAILS, PLEASE!!" he cried, "SNAP OUT OF IT!!!"

 _You can't break a robot out of its programming..._ is probably what Tails would say right about now. The cyborg leaned forward, seemingly intent on charging him. The eyes glowed furiously.

"I'm sorry buddy..." Sonic had played this game too many times with Metal, and if Metal still didn't have it down... "But we'll fix you, I swear..."

Miles didn't hear him, tails spinning furiously and jets firing as he boosted straight toward the hedgehog.

Sonic hopped into a spin dash, jumped at the last minute, and hit Tails like a cannonball. The cyborg was promptly swatted out of the sky, and smashed impossibly hard into the freeway. His golden form tumbled end over end, shedding parts and chipping paint, before finally coming to rest a hundred metres from his impact crater.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"BLAST IT!!!" Robotnik smacked his console once again as Mecha-Tails' signature registered extreme damage. With the battle now falling apart around him due to the arrival of Team Sonic, his plans had been thwarted yet again. 

"Doctor, Metal Sonic reports that Mecha-Tails is down!" Orbot cowered, anticipating his master's tantrum, "He's badly damaged, sir!"

"Yes, I can SEE that!" Robotnik snarled, gesturing to his console. "Order a full retreat! Inform Metal to pick up Mecha! We'll be back to deal with these miserable creatures soon enough..."

"Yes, boss!"

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sonic skidded to a halt as he followed the trail of impact craters, wincing as he spotted bits and pieces that could only have been broken from Tails' converted form. "Tails?!" the hedgehog swallowed a lump as he spotted an arm... pointedly _not_ attached to its owner. "Oh, Chaos..."

Sonic dashed over to the shattered form of his roboticized brother, propped against an abandoned truck. Dented and scraped, missing pieces of armour, and most glaringly, the aforementioned arm and a leg. The cyborg seemed to writhe in a dazed heap, blue eyes flickering behind a cracked visor.

"Oh jeez..." Sonic kneeled down, utterly unsure what to do and horrified at the damage he'd caused, "Tails..."

_"Kzz... kzzz...kzsssonic?"_

Sonic's heart almost stopped as the busted vocal units inside the cyborg's face crackled his name, Tails blindly reaching out with his remaining hand. "Oh gods, Tails?! Are you with me?!"

Tails shuffled, and Sonic noted that both his namesakes had been severed in the crash. He couldn't help it. Tears rippled in his eyes at the state of his brother. _"Ffff... for the moment..."_ Tails crackled, eyes rapidly flickering like static. _"I... don't feel so good, Sonic..."_

"Ah, jeez dude I know... but we'll get you fixed up! I swear it!"

 _"Wouldn't... trust you to... fit a plug, Sonic..."_ the fox replied, reaching out with his hand. Sonic took it in his and squeezed, raising his wrist communicator in the other. 

"Knuckles..." He said, swallowing his nerves, "We're... gonna need some help..."

 _"Just mopping up stragglers now!"_ came the echidna's reply, _"And what do you mean 'we'?"_

"I... have Tails here..." Sonic said lightly, "And he's in real bad shape... I'll explain later..."

There was a moment of hesitation before Knuckles responded. _"Roger that Sonic, Knuckles out."_

Sonic lowered his communicator and returned his attention to his brother. "See, buddy? Already on it!"

_"I... really screwed up... huh, Sonic? Doing... all this... to myself?"_

"Hey dude, we all know that wasn't you!" Sonic said, feeling utterly useless in his lack of mechanical knowledge. "It was that damn computer those Zeti put in your brain!"

 _"That's the thing..."_ Tails said weakly, and Sonic noted how _hot_ he was to the touch, whatever was in there powering him must have been working overtime. _"It was all my idea... it made so much... sense... I just didn't want to be a failure..."_

"You were never a failure, bud..." Sonic said, looking for handholds on Tails tattered form. "Now, are you okay for me to move you? I don't wanna make this... worse..."

_"G... go for it..."_

"Okay..." Sonic braced himself, unsure of how heavy Tails might be. He lowered into a squat and made to gently take the cyborg in his arms. "Now, I'm gonna lift you... you tell me if anything-"

_CLANG_

Preoccupied with tending to his brother, Sonic hadn't noticed the approach of Metal Sonic, who slammed into the tarmac beside him. The robot raised a boot and promptly kicked Sonic across the street, the hedgehog slamming into a car door and creating a dent. Sonic wheezed, having been utterly unbraced for the attack, and watched in horror as Metal did exactly what he had been about to, rapidly and roughly taking Tails in both arms.

"Don't..." Sonic spat, roughly climbing to his feet, "Don't you dare take him, you metal freak!"

Metal simply lowered his visor in response, jets firing. Before he could reach him, the mechanical doppelganger blasted into the air, Tails firmly in his grasp.

"TAILS!!!"

Sonic looked helplessly into the sky, mouth agape, as once again his brother was taken from him. He barely noticed the mixed squad of mobian militia and Team Sonic members who jogged to meet him, too busy watching the stream of smoke that signified Metal's departure.

"Sonic!" Knuckles and the gang trotted up, too late to help with Tails' rescue, "What happened?!"

Sonic didn't reply, remaining utterly still. 

"Sonic?" Amy, hammer in hand, tentatively approached, "What happened to Tails?"

"Eggman has him..." Sonic muttered, his fists clenching as he tracked the smoke up to the clouds. Tails and Metal would be long gone now, but he had to try... "And I'm going after him!"

"Sonic, w-" Too late Amy pleaded, as with a flash of blue the hedgehog zoomed off in pursuit of his brother and his captor. Machine or not, Tails was still his brother. And Sonic was going to get him back.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The doctor winced at the still sore wound of his arm, marching with intent down the hall of his secret lair. The battle had been a failure, his latest attempt to gain a foothold on the Mobian Territories once again being driven back by the miserable creatures. Still, a few hundred Badniks were easily replaced. The same couldn't be said for the hyper-advanced machines that accompanied him at this very moment.

"Is my laboratory set up?" the doctor grumbled, while Orbot and Cubot hovered beside him. Metal loitered behind, marching beside pair of Badniks who wheeled a table upon which the _other_ unit lay, still writhing weakly.

"Yes, doctor!" Orbot said lightly, a data pad in hand, "With the extent of the damage and the rate of repair, the unit should be operational again in twenty-four hours!"

"That's almost a full day!" added Cubot, who received an Eggman boot for his contribution.

"I don't care how long it takes..." Robotnik muttered, turning around to inspect the sad state of the unit, "I want this one back up and running, in perfect condition, in time for my next campaign!" The Badniks rolling the table paused at his command, and he leaned over his new machine with bared teeth. "I have... _plans_ for you, Tails... _great_ plans!"

The battered and broken form of the cyborg, presently blind, struggled against the restraints placed around it. The doctor had refrained from shutting it down this time, unwilling to cause any more permanent damage. _"What... are you going to do... to me?"_ Mecha-Tails said weakly, vocal units crackling.

"Oh, I'm going to fix you up _real_ good!" The doctor leered like a snake, tapping at the scarred torso, "And next time, you aren't going to fail me when you encounter that hedgehog again! I promise you!"

The roboticized unit designated Mecha-Tails, once mobian fox Miles Prower, could only whine as he resigned himself to his fate, wheeled through the halls of Eggman's ship to be put back together by the mad doctor.

He only had himself to blame, he thought. After all, he _had_ wanted to be _better._


	4. Chapter 4

_My name is Miles Prower. My name is Miles Prower. My name is Miles Prower..._

"Unit Mecha-Tails, please respond."

Miles didn't 'wake up' like normal kids. Not any more. Instead of opening his eyes blearily and wiping away boogers, his vision simply flickered into being while his internal systems warmed up, power core now fully charged after a period of recharge and maintenance. The first thing that met his 'eyes' was the blank green visage of an armoury-bot, red light blinking in the slit that made for the only feature of its 'face'. 

Miles remained silent, making the most of his temporary autonomy. He logged the time and date. 

Fifty three days since his repurposing as an Eggman fighting unit.

"Unit Mecha-Tails..." the armoury-bot repeated blankly, "Please respond"

_My name is Miles Prower... My name is Miles Prower..._

"Unit Mecha-Tails online," came Miles Prower's equally blank confirmation. "Awaiting directives."

The next thing to reach his notice was a smaller pair of robots, hovering above the deck, one red and silver with a domed skull, the other yellow and boxy. Both observed him through glowing blue optics. 

"Mecha-Tails," Orbot said lightly, barely registering the unit as anything more than the other regular Badniks lined up in the maintenance bay, "You will accompany us, please."

"Understood."

Miles, despite his reluctance to do so, complied without question or hesitation as he stepped from his assigned slot, moving with smooth mechanical grace as he followed the two Eggman lackeys down the line of Badniks to the maintenance bay exit. His metal feet clacked over the deck tiles, slowly keeping pace with the smaller, _other_ robots.

Miles hated this. He hated every second that was logged into his computerized brain that he spent under Robotnik control. And there was nothing he could do about it.

That was he price, he guessed. For turning himself into a machine.

It wasn't long until they reached the control centre of the doctor's orbital base, the human himself occupying a large command chair in the middle of the bridge. Around him, operations Badniks occupied control consoles, while the familiar gleaming blue form of Metal Sonic stood a silent guard, moving only to turn his head to coldly regard Miles as he marched into the circular room.

Miles pointedly ignored Sonic's mechanical doppelganger.

"Ah! Mecha-Tails!" The doctor swivelled in his chair and beamed as he stood and crossed the room to inspect his latest favourite toy, "How good of you to join us! I trust you had a nice little _nap?_ "

_Screw you, you evil old-_

"Yes, doctor." Miles said instead, placing his hands at the small of his back above the elongated fins that that replaced his tails, "Recharge cycle one hundred percent complete."

"Splendid, splendid!" The doctor made a full circle of the gleaming yellow cyborg, extremely pleased with the most recent modifications to Mecha-Tails' outer carapace. Miles made no reaction to the doctor's scrutiny, remaining in place as he awaited instruction. Not far away, Metal Sonic folded his arms and glowered. 

The doctor finally came to a stop before him, and clasped his hands behind his back. "Well, Mecha..." he said with a leer, "I don['t suppose you remember when I said I had _big_ plans for you?"

"Yes, doctor." Miles replied blankly.

"Good, good! Well, my little friend..." The doctor leaned down more to Miles' level and smiled maliciously, "Today's the day we put those plans into effect!" The doctor chuckled as he returned to his full height and began marching from the bridge. "Please follow me, boys!"

Miles turned to comply, briefly exchanging glances with Metal Sonic as the hedgehog did the same. He could almost _feel_ the glowing red optics boring into him as he fell into pace behind the doctor, following him to whatever fate the human had in store for him.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Behold, boys!" The doctor said with a grandiose gesture, as he lead his synthetic cohorts into a large, dark room. A cylindrical chamber stood in the centre of the space, white light displaying a black rock, from which strange purple-red energy seemed to radiate. The human grinned wide, triumphant as he turned to his underlings. "The Phantom Ruby!!!"

Miles scanned the glowing rock suspended in its chamber, making a little more use of his limited autonomy to inspect the thing as he fell out of line and curiously circled the cylinder. "I'm detecting... very high levels of unknown energy."

"Indeed!" The doctor stood beside Miles, hands behind back, moustache twitching above his leering grin. "This object... is _incredibly_ potent! Like the Chaos Emeralds, combining it with a sufficient wielder would create a being of _unstoppable_ power! Nobody could stand against my Empire!"

Miles didn't have a mouth. He didn't have an oesophagus, or a digestive system, or any of the body parts necessary to swallow his nerves. He did, however, feel a pang of fear as he understood what it was Robotnik intended for him.

"And you, Mecha-Tails..." the doctor said maliciously, rounding on his favourite machine, "Will be the _perfect_ instrument for this destruction!"

Miles stepped back, fear roiling inside him. "N... no..."

The doctor cocked his head, his good humour dissipating. "What was that?"

"I..." Miles replied, synthesized vocals low, "Don't want... to..."

Robotnik snorted. "I don't CARE what you 'want'!!!" he bellowed, "You are my PROPERTY!!! And you will do as I COMMAND!!!" the human leaned over, imposing his authority over the smaller cyborg. "There's a _reason_ I didn't simply wipe you from that noggin of yours, _Tails..._ " the doctor hissed, "Your intellect is valuable! _Useful_ to me! And it offers me no small amount of pleasure, that you are utterly _aware_ of your own actions, after all the trouble you have caused me!" Robotnik raised his hand to his face and removed his mirrored spectacles, glaring at Miles with an evil glint in his exposed eyes. "But if you like..." he continued, "I can.. alter you some more? Turn you into a mindless drone? No thought, no intelligence, no memory of who you were? Would you _like_ that, Tails?"

Miles shuddered internally, his head hanging low. "No, doctor..."

"Good!" Robotnik replaced his spectacles and stood tall, his cheer seemingly returning. "I'm glad that's settled!" the human turned to Orbot and Cubot, his longtime lackeys cowering beneath his attention. "Orbot! Cubot! You will take Mecha-Tails and prepare the Phantom Ruby for immediate internment in his systems! I do not wish to wait a moment longer before executing my master plan!"

"Yes sir!"

"Right away, boss!"

"And you..." the doctor briefly acknowledged Miles once again. "Know your place. Do as you're told. That is, if you value whatever is left of your mind! Do I make myself clear?"

Miles, terrified of the doctor yet showing no outward reaction except to stare through the floor, simply responded. "Yes, doctor..."

"Very well. Follow Orbot and Cubot and prepare for immediate refit! I expect a good presentation when you return! Metal Sonic? Return with me to the bridge!"

Metal Sonic bleeped in response and offered Miles a final scathing look before following his master. 

"Mecha-Tails?" Orbot said, gaining the cyborg's attention, "follow us, please..."

Miles once again had no choice but to comply with the doctor's orders, marching behind the smaller robots as they led him back to the maintenance bay.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"lay down on the workbench, please."

Miles did as he was told, laying himself on his back on a metallic workbench, above which an array of tools and claws hung on mechanical arms, ready to open him up and modify his frame once again. Cubot held the Phantom Ruby in a protective case, ready to hand it over to the maintenance claws above.

"I don't want this..." Miles said, synthesized voice quietly reverberating, "I don't want this..."

"Well," sniffed Orbot, inspecting the consoles beside the table, "You should have thought about that before you roboticized yourself!"

"Yeah!" added Cubot, "That was a really dumb thing to do! Why'd you do that?"

"My mind was corrupted..." Miles replied quietly, sadly watching as the tools above twitched with anticipation, "By the partial conversion on the Lost Hex... it seemed... logical to pursue total roboticization..."

"Huh." replied Cubot, "Seems like you screwed yourself!"

"Ready to commence modifications..." Orbot said, seemingly uninterested in the whole situation, "I'm afraid we are unable to shut you down for this one. The Phantom Ruby requires your systems active in order to bind thoroughly."

"It's okay..." Miles replied sadly, "I won't feel it anyway..."

"Very well. Cubot, be ready to hand over the Phantom Ruby for internment."

"You got it!"

With no further conversation from any of the robots, the clicking tools above began to whirr, powering up before descending to open up the unit below.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was another beautiful day. Bright blue sky, blazing sun illuminating the landscape of Green Hills below. At the side of one of the long green roads that made up the zone, a blue hedgehog sat forlornly on a fallen log, gloomily watching as a flock of flickies picked at the grass before him.

His usual morning run often went this way these days. The hedgehog would leave his empty workshop home, blast along whatever route took his fancy... and moped as he realised he was alone. Before ultimately returning back to an empty workshop.

His runs weren't the same, not having Tails along. Or waiting for him with some technical jargon he knew his adopted brother wouldn't understand.

Sonic's gloom turned to a scowl as he glared at the sky. _I'll get you back, buddy..._ he thought, the last time he saw his brother running through his mind, _If it's the last thing I do..._

The hedgehog frowned, an ear perking as he thought he heard a series of distant _thumps_. Then he jerked as his wrist communicator crackled, bringing him from the log back to his feet. The flickies before him scattered to the wind at the sudden movement, and the voice that hissed from the device.

_"Sonic! Sonic, this is Gadget! Some in!"_

"I'm here, Gadg. What's the situation?"

_"Sonic, Eggman's forces have come out of nowhere, and are attacking the city! We need you here, right now!"_

_Ah, crap._ "Okay Gadget, I'm on my way!" Sonic replied, already breaking into a hundred mph sprint, "Tell egg-head to roll out the welcome mat!"

_"Uh... sure thing, Sonic! Gadget out!"_

Sonic grimaced as he boosted his way through Green Hills, already spotting landing craft deploying Badniks in the distance. He had a score to settle with his arch-nemesis, and this time... he wasn't going to be so merciful. 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

Doctor Robotnik whooped with laughter as he directed a phalanx of Badniks toward a cowering band of mobian civilians, stomping forward with intent. The Doctor was intent on enslaving any of the creatures he could get, imprisoning them in preparation for roboticization. The defensive militia troops had been slaughtered, and the pathetic creatures' only salvation lay in the bespectacled red wolf who uncertainly stood before them.

"Ah, jeez!" Gadget, newest member of Team Sonic and completely untested in combat, recoiled back as he attempted to guide the civilians down a tight alley. "Uh... stay back, you, you... egg... jerk!"

"HA!" The doctor spat at the attempt at bravado, "Just give up, wolf! You are defeated! Accept your fate!"

Gadget tried to think of something heroic, that one of the other Resistance fighters would say in reply... but simply yelped as the platoon of Badniks began to storm forward.

Before the first bot could fire its first shot, a blue blur burst from the rooftops and effortlessly dispatched the slow, clanking machines like they were bowling pins. The civilians cheered at the display, as Sonic himself landed gracefully on his feet. The hedgehog brushed off his gloves and grinned. "Hope I'm not too late, rookie!"

"N... no, sir!" the wolf stammered, "Th... thank you!"

Sonic, never one for titles, declined to remind the wolf and instead turned to face his arch-enemy. "Well, egg-brain! How's it going? Ready for me to end another of your little schemes?"

"Oh, Sonic!" Robotnik leered, leaning back in his craft, "I'm afraid today will be _your_ end, my old _friend!_ You have no IDEA what you have just walked into!!!"

Sonic, who had shrugged halfway through the doctor's monologuing, boosted into the air in a spin-dash... and was promptly swatted back to the ground by a streak of orange.

"Woah, what the-?" The hedgehog scanned around for his assailant, and his heart sank as his eyes landed on the gleaming form of a familiar armoured carapace. "Oh no..."

Before him, wreathed in some kind of rippling purple energy, Tails himself hovered in the air, some unknown propulsion system keeping him airborne. The former fox glowered blankly, eyes glowing purple in time with a shining orb in the centre of his chest.

"Oh, YES!" cackled Robotnik, slamming his hands against his console. "I think you'll find you will be hard pressed to tackle my ultimate weapon! Especially with the most recent modifications I have made!"

"Tails..." Sonic said, directing his attention squarely to the cyborg, "Talk to me, buddy!"

"NOT A WORD!!!" The doctor bellowed, jabbing a finger at Tails. "Mecha-Tails? INCAPACITATE THAT HEDGEHOG!!!"

"Yes, doctor."

Sonic had no time to react as, far faster than he could have expected, Tails lunged forward with a burst of speed that even the fastest thing alive couldn't counter. Sonic was knocked flying into the wall of the plaza, scrabbling to his feet as best he could.

"Sonic!" Gadget, who hadn't moved a muscle, stood terrified as the hedgehog took another blow and scraped across the tarmac.

"Gadget?" Sonic spat blood, "get outta here!"

The wolf simply watched as Sonic again rose to his feet and dashed away, Mecha-Tails seemingly intent on pounding him into submission. The doctor cackled evilly as his nemesis was battered over and over, attempting to defend himself, and ultimately falling to an unmoving heap on the floor. Mecha-Tails crunched into the tarmac beside the fallen hedgehog, and picked him up by the throat. Sonic's feet dangled limply above the ground in Mecha-Tails' grasp, the reconstructed cyborg now standing several inches taller than his once brother.

It was when the roboticized fox turned and locked glowing purple optics with Gadget's eyes that the wolf finally turned tail, and ran.

He yelped as he narrowly avoided a flurry of laser blasts, no doubt fired from the cyborg himself, the doctor's maniacal cackling following as he ran.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sometimes it was useful being a robot. Miles was able to tap into the station's systems remotely, not enough to perform something major such as shutting down weapons systems or the like, but enough to find out where he was going. And right now, the doctor had no directives for him. Robotnik was far too busy announcing to every mobian in the world that Sonic the hedgehog was dead, and declaring war on the rest of the planet.

So Miles took this one brief period of autonomy to take a walk. And he knew exactly where he was going.

The cyborg marched with steady mechanical precision as he made his way through the decks of the Death Egg, heading for the prison cells. He entered the large circular chamber of cell block Alpha, marching solemnly by identical prison chambers. Most were empty right now, but if Robotnik had his war... they'd fill up pretty quick.

A pair of security Badniks stomped by, offering Miles a brief bleep of acknowledgement - the robot equivalent of saluting a superior. He repeated the gesture, just blending in, as though Robotnik's super weapon was supposed to be down here at this time.

 _Super weapon. Me._ Miles would have shuddered if he could. He didn't know what kind of damage Robotnik had in mind for him... but he was terrified. And ashamed of himself, for his part in Sonic's defeat. he might not have been in control of his actions, but he was still _aware_ of what he was doing.

Eventually, the cyborg reached his destination, coming to a stop outside one cell in particular. He felt nothing but guilt in his systems as his optics scanned the lone figure inside, slumped on the meagre bed the cell was furnished with.

Miles hesitated. He considered turning away and leaving before Robotnik had an inkling of what he was up to. But this might be the last time he had the chance to talk to his brother...

"Sonic." the cyborg said flatly, almost like an order than anything.

The battered and beaten hedgehog in the cell looked his visitor over through puffy eyes. His split lips morphed into a very slight, very strained smile. "Hey..." Sonic said carefully, seemingly searching for any trace of his little brother, "Is that... _you_ I'm talking to right now, Tails?"

Miles lowered his head in shame, optics staring through the deck. "Yes..."

"Ah, jeez..." Sonic coughed and Miles heard him climb to his feet, hissing through his teeth at his wounds, "I knew... you were still in there somewhere, little buddy..."

"Sonic, I..." Miles didn't look up, too ashamed of himself to meet his brother's eyes. "I'm sorry... the doctor... has control of me... I can't... I can't..."

"Hey buddy, look at me..." There was the scuffing of shoes over the deck and Mile's optics flickered back up to regard the hedgehog, Sonic now clasping one hand around the bars of his cell... the other slowly reaching out. "Come on, bud. 'Sokay."

Miles, though hesitant, gingerly raised his own hand and placed it in Sonic's. The hedgehog squeezed and wore a tired smile. "I'm just glad you're still there, buddy... I thought I'd lost you..."

"I'm trying to fight him, Sonic..." Miles replied sadly, "It's... hard..."

" I know buddy, I know..." Sonic said, squeezing his brother's hand again, unsure if the former fox could even feel the gesture through his metal carapace, "I need to know something though..." he said, looking around for security bots, "Can you get us out of here?"

Miles felt a stab of guilt. "No... such action would be contrary to Robotnik directives..."

"Okay, okay..." sonic hissed, the cogs whirring in his brain. He gestured to the glowing orb in Miles' chest. "Can you tell me what that is?"

Miles shook his head slowly. "Classifed information. Robotnik's eyes only."

"Damn..." Sonic released a sigh of frustration. "I guess egg-head has us _both_ locked down tight, huh?"

"Sonic... I-"

"Hey, listen to me Miles..." Sonic said, giving his brother's arm a shake, "We're gonna get outta here. You get me? Both of us. It doesn't matter how long it takes but we're gonna get outta here, and we're gonna fix you up, and we're gonna get back at that evil old coot and kick his ass all the way back to his own world! Do you understand me?"

Miles stared gloomily through the floor. "He's going to make me do things... he's going to make me do real bad things, Sonic..."

"And you'll keep fighting, right buddy?" Sonic said, voice stern. "No matter what he makes you do, you'll fight as hard as you can! Promise me?"

Miles' optics flickered back to his brother's, and Miles could almost feel the determination in those green eyes. Before the cyborg could respond, Robotnik's voice crackled in his internal communications system. 

_"Mecha-Tails! Where the devil are you?!"_ the doctor snarled, _"Gah! Meet me on the command bridge at once!"_

"Yes doctor..." Miles said, slowly removing his hand from Sonic's. "I have to go..." the former fox said. "Goodbye, Sonic."

Those last words were all he could manage before he was forced to comply with the doctor's order, turning and marching resolutely away. Sonic leaned his muzzle through the bars as far as he could to call after his enslaved brother. "Keep fighting, Tails!" The hedgehog called, while a security bot approached him, "Keep fighting! Promise me you won't give up!"

The security bot wordlessly reached out toward Sonic with an arm, and the hedgehog shrieked as a bolt of electricity through his body. Sonic tumbled back into the cell, shooting the robot a vicious look.

He grit his teeth determinedly. One way or another, he was getting out of this prison. And Tails was coming with him.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Well, boys! It's official!" Robotnik paced in triumph, hands clasped behind his back, as on screen waves of his own transport ships launched offensives on various key mobian cities. "The rise of the Eggman Empire is finally underway! With Sonic out of the picture, those miserable creatures will fall to _me!_ "

"Yes, very good sir!" Orbot and Cubot toadied pathetically, levitating before their master.

"Way to go, boss!"

"Yes, and it's been a long time coming..." the doctor hissed. "And Sonic... is going to be made known of _everything_ that I accomplish in this war... he will watch, helpless as I conquer this world, and when all is won, _then_ we kill him!" The doctor turned to his robotic underlings to issue orders. "Orbot, Cubot, Go and ensure maintenance routines are proceeding as planned in the maintenance bay." 

"Yes sir!"

"Right away doc!"

"Metal!" The doctor now turned to Metal Sonic, who straightened in anticipation of his orders. "Prepare for combat operations on the surface. It's been a little while since I let you off the leash, I'm sure you'll appreciate the exercise!"

Metal Sonic bleeped in confirmation, briefly glaring at Miles as he turned to carry out his orders.

"And you..." The doctor now glowered at Miles, who remained as still as a mannequin under the human's dagger-like glare. The doctor stepped close, his eyes not wavering behind the dark glasses. "I don't want you interacting with that hedgehog _ever again._ Not unless I order it." The doctor's voice was cold and dangerous, the tone menacing. "Do I make myself clear?"

Miles could only hesitate for a few moments, despair roiling inside at the thought of never seeing his brother again, before he offered his usual, emotionless response. 

"Yes, doctor."


	5. Chapter 5

Doctor Robotnik wore a vicious smile as he marched through the halls of the Death Egg, his personal mobile battle station, flanked by a pair of his new model Egg Pawns. The bulky spherical robots accompanied him as he went on his way to administer the latest 'treatment' to his... patient.

The human cackled softly, pausing to tap at the controls to a large pair of steel doors. The doors slid open with a hiss, and the man entered a small room, within which sat a blue figure strapped into a metallic chair.

"Oh, hey there egg-head!" Sonic the Hedgehog flashed his trademark lopsided grin, emerald eyes locking onto the doctor's tinted spectacles and the man strode before him, "been a little while! Did'ya miss me?"

Robotnik chuckled, and smirked back to his prisoner. "Oh, Sonic..." he said lightly, crossing the room to a pair of blast-shielded windows, "ever the jokester... even in your defeat, you always have a humorous comment up your sleeve..."

"Don't have sleeves, skinbag!" Sonic remarked, "and I've never been defeated before, so I wouldn't know!"

"Well, there's a first time for everything..." Robotnik tapped at the window controls, causing the thick shields to retract, displaying the world of Mobius below. The human snickered as Sonic's chair swivelled to face his planet, a look of brief uncertainty flashing across the hedgehog's face. Robotnik move close and leered down at his captured arch enemy. "Do you know, Sonic... what I plan to do with this world in your absence?" the human relished the look of uncertainty now barely contained over Sonic's face, "with you gone.. nobody can stand in my way... my empire will stretch across the globe... all will bow down to me! Perfect order will will be restored, all down to ME!"

Sonic set his jaw and glared. "You're wrong, Robotnik..." the hedgehog said determinedly, "you might have me, but you're forgetting about my friends... and about all the people who will fight you! So long as there are people like me standing up for themselves, you'll never win!"

Robotnik's face split into a malicious, evil grin, and the man removed his spectacles to peer into Sonic's eyes with the black, artificial prosthetics that had long replaced his own. A chill ran down Sonic's back at the utterly vicious and triumphant expression now worn by the evil doctor, though he refused to show it to the human.

"Perhaps..." Robotnik hissed, regarding the hedgehog with his cold dead eyes like a morsel to be savoured, "under ordinary circumstances, perhaps there would be a slim chance I could be defeated..." the human straightened up and raised a remote, directing it to the 'window' and bringing another tab up in the corner. Sonic flexed his bound hands and watched, a sudden lump forming in his throat as he recognised a gleaming blue machine... accompanied by a familiar golden form, flanked by wings of buzz-bombers, heading straight towards a major Resistance base.

"You seem to forget, Sonic..." Robotnik said coldly, "I have a brand new weapon at my disposal... one which will bring your resistance forces to waste... the human sneered as Sonic glared at him, "oh, and don't fret! I've seen to it that your 'little brother' has no control over his actions... though he will be completely aware of every single life he takes under my command!" Robotnik growled as Sonic looked away from the screen, unwilling to watch the footage. "Oh, and please..." Robotnik raised his controller and tapped the button... and Sonic began to spasm in his seat, shaking like a leaf, mouth open in silent torment as powerful electric shocks were administered to his body. "Do try and pay attention?" Robotnik leered like a python at Sonic's torture, watching with glee as he cut the power and the hedgehog slumped in his chair, "If you don't, I'll simply have to keep you... _engaged!"_

__

Sonic glowered at the doctor with bloodshot, hate-filled eyes. "You won't win..." he snarled, all humour evaporating as he glared defiantly at his hated foe, "you'll never win..."

__

Robotnik cackled, gesturing back to the screen. "Well," he said flippantly, happily toying with the device in his hand, "you're more than welcome to watch me!" the human raised the control, and leered menacingly, "in fact... I insist!" Robotnik set himself beside Sonic's chair and chuckled as they watched the battle begin onscreen... and his machines began to raze the Resistance fighters to the ground. "It's going to be a long war, Sonic..." he growled, glaring down at the hedgehog, "and we're going to watch the downfall of your world, every step of he way... together! Won't that be utterly delightful?"

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Sonic had no further comment, cutting off his emotions as Robotnik's war to take Mobius began in earnest.

_..._

_Six months later..._

__

One final hostile remained. Not much of a threat, bleeding and broken and dying, but still classified as an enemy. The wolf, formerly brown yet now blackened and roasted, weakly crawled across the debris strewn ground, lower limbs shattered and trailing.

__

Unit Mecha-Tails simply watched emotionlessly as the soldier fruitlessly crawled for his life. A pointless gesture. The man was close to death, even if he could have received emergency medical care in time.

__

Still. Unit Mecha-Tails dragged out the man's expiration as long as it could, for one simple reason - it didn't want to kill.

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But what Unit Mecha-Tails wanted and what was in its enslavement programming were two different things. Inside, Miles Prower watched morbidly as his body moved toward the dying Resistance Soldier of its own accord, stomping down on one of the man's shattered legs and halting his doomed grasp at life. The soldier squealed in agony, throwing back his head as Mecha-Tails' arm cannon raised... and fired. The scent of roasted meat reached Mecha-Tails' olfactory sensors, the cyborg looking down at the man's dead body without emotion.

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Tails couldn't fight any more. He'd tried. Tried to stop his body from moving, from fighting... from killing. He'd tried to fulfil his promise to Sonic, to fight Eggman's influence every step of the way with all his strength.

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Now, six months into this war, his will was spent. Mecha-Tails, formerly Miles Prower, just wished the Resistance would get a lucky shot at it... and put it out of its misery.

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"Unit Mecha-Tails..."

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Mecha's head swivelled at its master's voice, glowing optics scanning as the whoosh of thrusters reached its audio receptors. The gleaming blue carapace of Metal Sonic crunched into the battlefield beside it, the machine stomping across the ground to regard it pitilessly.

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"Report," Doctor Robotnik's voice crackled through their shared communications network, Metal Sonic glowering at Tails from its downswept visor.

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"Primary objectives accomplished, doctor..." Mecha-Tails turned its body to face its comrade, regarding Metal Sonic with equal lack of emotion, "Resistance forces eliminated. Secondary objectives failed. No enemy commanders in this area. Awaiting further directives."

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"Blast! Those infernal, elusive rodents..." Robotnik snarled, voice echoing in Mecha-Tails' head, "escaping my capture at every turn! Surely they can't keep it up forever!?"

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"Awaiting directives, doctor." Mecha-Tails repeated, uninterested in the doctor's outraged ranting.

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"Yes, yes... very well, return to HQ for debriefing and refit." the doctor said, a sudden malicious tone in his voice, "and congratulations, Mecha-Tails! You continue to serve me well!"

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"Affirmative doctor. Returning to Headquarters. Mecha-Tails out."

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Mecha-Tails hesitated before carrying out its orders, as it noticed Metal Tails glaring in its direction. The synthetic hedgehog took a menacing step forward, heat radiating from its blue carapace.

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"Please..." Tails said, synthesized vocals devoid of emotion. His pleas would fall on uninterested ears he knew, but the former fox would desperately make use of whatever autonomy he still had. "Kill me..."

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Metal Sonic didn't respond, optics flickering down to observe the Phantom Ruby glowing in Tails' chest, before it offered him a final scathing look, and rocketed into the air as per its orders.

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Unit Mecha-Tails, after brief pause, followed suit, heading back 'home' for debriefing.

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Inside, Miles Prower tried hard to ignore the sea of bodies and destruction he left behind.

_..._

_Resistance HQ, some hours after the battle_

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The heavy metal doors to the Resistance HQ opened with a clank and a hiss, Vector the crocodile padding through in his thick soled combat boots. All eyes in the control room turned to regard the large croc, the mobian reptile battle weary and exhausted from the fighting.

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"Eggman's army is unstoppable!" The croc said, massaging his temple, "Without Sonic..." he went on, "The people are losing hope and giving in to despair!"

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"Despair..." replied Silver, folding his arms and wearing a grim expression, "is a luxury we don't have!"

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"Oh..." Amy Rose moaned, tears in her eyes at the thought of her fallen hero, "I still dream that Sonic is with us!" She glanced to Silver as the hedgehog soothingly rubbed her back. "Do... you think he might be...?"

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"I'm an optimist, Ames..." the hedgehog replied gloomily, "But I'm also a realist! Sonic is gone... and Tails? Well... Tails..."

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"Yes, Silver..." the silver hedgehog, a refugee from an apocalyptic future, raised his ears as another individual entered the room. Knuckles the echidna, last survivor of an ancient warrior race, now the leader of the Mobian Resistance. The echidna set his jaw as he surveyed his friends and comrades, a pair of green-armoured Resistance fighters flanking him with blasters slung. "We're all very aware of Tails... condition"

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A heavy silence fell over the control room at the thought of their lost comrades. Sonic, killed at the very outset of this war, and Tails... gone, enslaved, nothing more than a tool of their enemy's conquest.

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"What's the sitrep, Commander?" Amy straightened at her console, forcing back her emotion at their lost friends. The others gathered around as the echidna approached the control room main tactical screen, inserting a data chip into the console.

__

"We've had a report from 8th Battalion..." the echidna said, tapping at the console, "two hours ago, their base came under attack..." Knuckles turned and regarded his comrades with a stony expression. "After that, comms went down. Scouts report no survivors. The entire Zone... is now under Robotnik control." Knuckles gestured back to the screen, all eyes looking to find security footage... of a golden vulpine machine, wiping out resistance soldiers left and right with powerful waves of unknown energy. Egg-Pawns and other Badniks flanked the machine, though nothing could match the sheer destructive force of Robotnik's prized weapon.

__

The screen fizzled out into static, the final image that of the cyborg stomping toward a dying Resistance trooper, the recording fizzling out just before it delivered the killing blow.

__

All present remained in shocked silence, this being the most they'd seen of the unit known as 'Mecha-Tails' for months. Usually the cyborg's work was over and done before much could be recorded. Knuckles cleared his throat and regarded his fellows sourly.

__

"Red Gate is lost," he said bluntly, his words echoing around the silent chamber, "Robotnik's forces have completely taken the city thanks to his... special weapon."

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"Tails..." Amy whispered, despair at her lost friend settling in her chest.

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"Tails is gone, Amy..." Silver said quietly, "there's nothing we can do for him now..."

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"We'll avenge Tails," Knuckles said, as the doors grinded open once again and another pair of resistance fighters entered the chamber. A smirk twitched the echidna's face as Gadget the Wolf stumbled in, portable computer in hand as he adjusted his square spectacles. Rouge the Bat accompanied the red wolf, a cocksure expression over her face. "But anyway... I think we've had our fill of bad news for the day," he said, straightening his posture as Gadget and Rouge approached, "now, it's time for some good!"

__

He had their attention now. After the devastating news that Red Gate was lost, and total defeat was even nearer than ever... the prospect of a silver lining definitely had their attention.

__

"Good news?" Espio the Chameleon said sourly, folding his arms beside the much larger Vector, "What kind of 'good news' could possibly make up for the ground we have lost? The destruction of an entire battalion?"

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"Well, Espie..." Rouge said, slinking to a stop beside Knuckles and setting her hands on her ample hips, "if you give us a minute, perhaps you'll find out, hmm?"

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Espio lowered his horned face and stared coldly at the bat, unimpressed by her mischievous attitude.

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"Go on then, bat-girl!" Knuckles said, folding his arms while Gadget hooked his computer up to the main console, "let's inform the troops!"

__

"Anything for you, Knuckie..." the bat winked at the commander, before changing tone entirely and gesturing a hand toward the tactical screen. "Thanks to yours truly," she said, placing her hands behind her back and stepping away from the console, boots clacking on the concrete floor, "we now know something Robotnik would really rather we didn't..." The bat grinned, flashing sharp, bright white fangs. "Sonic... is alive!"

__

"No way!"

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"That's... amazing!"

__

"Are you sure?!"

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"I knew it! I knew it!"

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Stunned gasps filled the chamber, accompanied by excited chattering, before Knuckles raised his hands for silence. "That's right, boys and girls! And We've come up with a plan to rescue him! Gadget?"

__

"Uh... uh, yes sir!" Gadget fumbled with his spectacles, hunching over his computer and bringing up plans. A large, spherical monstrosity filled the screen, a hunk of metal large enough to be considered a planetoid... the Death Egg. "The doctor has finally finished rebuilding the Death Egg! He's ready to use it in battle, along with fresh battalions of troops, to completely crush the Resistance once and for all!" the red wolf turned to regard the rest of the command team. "That's where he's keeping Sonic!"

__

"Mhm," Rouge hummed, "he's been torturing Sonic for months, making him watch as his forces take our world... he's waiting to show Sonic his completed empire, and then he's going to banish him into space!"

__

Concerned muttering sounded from the assembled command team at the news. Thanks to their hammerspace, Mobians could carry their own personal 'bubbles' of oxygen that, while useless underwater thanks to the pressure, could allow them a short supply of breathable air in a vacuum... but even that wouldn't last too long. Months of torture, and then a slow and painful death in space... that's what Eggman had in store for Sonic.

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"The Death Egg..." Vector muttered, yellow eyes locked onto the leering metal visage of Doctor Robotnik's moustachioed face, "that's not good..."

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"None of this is good, Vector..." Knuckles said grimly, "that's why it's called war."

__

Silver and Espio offered a brief, confused glance at the statement, but shrugged it off.

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"However..." Knuckles continued, "we have a plan! Gadget?"

__

"Yes sir!" Gadget's fingers danced over his keyboard, bringing up images and plans for a Robotnik spaceport. "Eggman's not going to suspect a direct attack on the Death Egg! He thinks he has us on the ropes. He thinks it would be suicide!"

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"So what we're going to do," Rouge added, "is assault this spaceport and... borrow a few shuttles..."

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"Fly on up, and BAM!" Gadget grinned, his own pointed canines jutting from the corners of his mouth, "board the Death Egg, retrieve Sonic, and bring him back!"

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"That's right!" Knuckles said approvingly, Gadget awkwardly adjusting his glasses yet again, "we get Sonic back... cause some major damage to the Death Egg before it can be used... we just might have a chance at winning this war!"

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"It's a long shot," Espio said, rubbing his chin and nodding with approval, "but it just might work..."

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"Aren't we forgetting something?" Amy piped up, glancing around with worried green eyes, "what about Tails? What if... he gets in the way? Tries to defend the Death Egg?"

__

Knuckles grimly set his jaw, glancing at the other fighters in the chamber. "We have to accept," the echidna said, looking back to Amy with stony eyes, "that Tails... is beyond saving. If it comes to it, we... may have to take him out of commission. Permanently."

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Amy's mouth flapped open, and she angrily shook her head. "No! We can still save him Knuckles! He's our friend! We don't give up on our friends!"

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"Knuckles is right, Amy..." Espio said, "Tails is gone. The best thing we can do for him, may be to end his suffering. If there is even anything of him left."

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Amy pursed her lips and swallowed. "And what about Sonic?" she said coldly, "what will he think?"

__

Knuckles shook his head and sighed. "We'll... cross that bridge if we come to it... when, we come to it. Right now, we have a rescue mission to execute." The echidna turned to the rest of his team and raised a determined fist, brow furrowing. "This is it, guys! This is the day we turn this disaster of a war around, and take back our world! Time to show Eggman who's boss!"

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Knuckles was met with a chorus of determined voices, his comrades all hungry for payback against Robotnik's forces... though Amy couldn't help but wonder if their time really had come.

_..._

"HA! Wonderful day! Glorious day! Another step towards total global domination!"

__

Doctor Robotnik cackled as he strode across the control room of his Death Egg, a glass of liquor in hand, leering down at the planet below through wide, slanted windows. Blossoms of flame and light flickered beneath the clouds, signs of major fleet engagements between his own forces and those of the Resistance. He turned back to face his favoured machines, Metal Sonic and Mecha-Tails stood coldly at attention, awaiting fresh orders.

__

"My boys!" the doctor cheered, approaching the fighting machines with glee, "my beloved instruments of destruction! Oh, how you have done your master proud!"

__

Metal Sonic proudly straightened under the doctor's favour, pleased at his creator's praise, while Mecha-Tails remained utterly still and silent. Whatever autonomy remained in the mechanized fox, didn't extend to wilful displays of approval for the doctor.

__

"And you..." Robonik approached Tails and positively beamed with delight, looking down at his greatest creation with pride, "Mecha-Tails! Any expectations I had of your performance have been exceeded tenfold! You are the greatest weapon I ever had the genius to construct!" The doctor didn't seem to notice as, behind him, Metal Sonic's head snapped to face Tails, angry red optics glowing hot.

__

Miles ignored the robot. He didn't care. He wanted nothing more than to end this existence. He was responsible for so much destruction, so much ground lost by the Resistance... so many lives, gone.

__

He morbidly anticipated his next 'sleep' cycle. Non-existence was welcome.

__

"Thank you, doctor." Mecha-Tails said, looking up to the human, Phantom Ruby glowing in its chest, "awaiting further directives."

__

"Of course, of course..." Robotnik said, stroking his moustache as he tapped at a nearby console. "All in good time, Mecha! All in good time..." Miles' optics flickered to the screen, finding Robotnik leering down at a blue figure, curled up in the corner of a featureless cell...

__

Sonic...

__

Miles' optics remained locked on his tortured brother, who Robotnik had kept alive for all these months. He didn't notice as the human turned back to face him, Robotnik wearing a malicious grin as he caught his underling's briefly divided attention.

__

"It won't be long..." Robotnik mused, Miles' optics returning to him, "this war is all but over... when the resistance HQ is destroyed, along with their leaders... the creatures will scatter. They will inevitably fall, and the world will belong to me!" Robotnik sneered evilly as he returned to his command chair, legs splaying open as he set his hefty bulk into the creaking leather. "And I'll give Sonic a front row seat! Before I have him... executed..." the man's evil grin grew impossibly wider, as he glared at Miles. "And you, Mecha... will carry out the termination! Your reward for such... impeccable performance! What do you say?"

__

Mecha-Tails paused for a brief second, before answer coldly and emotionlessly. "Affirmative, doctor. Objective understood."

__

"Grand!" Robotnik cackled, clapping his hands before swivelling in his chair. "Anyway, I believe you've worked hard enough today, Mecha. Return to your recharge station and undergo rest and refit period until further notice. Metal Sonic? You will remain here."

__

"Affirmative, Doctor."

__

Bleep.

__

Miles turned and begin to march away, off to engage in a period of recharge and maintenance. Inside, despair filled the circuits that had long replaced his flesh and blood, though he knew by now there was no fighting Robotnik's control.

__

All he could do, was accept the blessed relief of unconciousness... and hope he didn't wake up.

__

That would be the sweetest release of all.

__


End file.
